What do you think of reality TV shows?

[The Last Conformist]

The Devil closed business when he heard of reality TV - he realized he just wasn't in the game anymore for serious evil.

 

[Masquerouge]

I like a few.
The "stupidity" argument does not mean anything to me. I know why I'm watching these shows and it's not to learn new things about quantum physics or social engineering. I like to watch people clash and see how they react in strange situations. That's very voyeur but I assume it 100%.

 

[azzaman333]

It's not as exciting as regular versions of the show.

Spoiler :

In fact, they barely leave the US. They go to Panama once and take a short trip to Canada, and the rest is throughout the US.

The above isn't too big a spoiler. It reveals in no way who wins or what actually happens in the episodes.

And the Weavers are by far the most annoying ones.

Jeez, that's messed up. Families would've been a good idea if they didn't stuff it up by staying in US the whole time...

And after the first 5 minutes I knew the Weavers would be extremely annoying...

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

Trust me, you will grow to despise them.

 

[Atlas14]

I like a few.
The "stupidity" argument does not mean anything to me. I know why I'm watching these shows and it's not to learn new things about quantum physics or social engineering. I like to watch people clash and see how they react in strange situations. That's very voyeur but I assume it 100%.

Same here. It is for entertainment and it sometimes gives more insight about different human personalities than another bland, worn-out sitcom.

 

[puglover]

If Cops is racist and prejudiced against poor people, why don't they just tell more white, rich guys to rob gas stations so we can catch it on tape?

 

[Bamspeedy]

Now they've been beaten to death, way past the point of novelty.

Exactly.

This summer it was crazy. On some nights every single network had a reality show on at the same time :thumbdown :suicide:

I really don't like the 'idol' and 'superstar' ones.

I only watch survivor because that was one of the 'originals' in my mind, but I'm losing interest in that one, too. I had a little interest in Devil's Kitchen because it was unique in some ways, but I don't think I want to see another season of it.

 

[MamboJoel]

They're boring. They broadcast boring piece of boring lives in enclosed boring areas. After the vicious and vile curiosity of the newness they lose any kind of interest to me.

 

[thetrooper]

I've only watched one Reality Show (a Norwegian one called Farmen (~The Farm)). It was OK from a psychological POV. Hard to tell if it was staged or not though. and don't care. I'm not going to watch another RS. So my vote goes to: 'I only like one', even if that's a half truth.

 

[Gr3yL3gion]

I think they are stupid and overrated.

My thoughts as well.

 

[Jawz II]

they scuk butt and make me want to gouge their eyes out.

the people that make em that is.

we have this really crap one called idol. its kinda like american idol, every day in the paper they write about who got kicked or how someone is doing as if it was real news.

 

[Speedo]

I think it's worth distinguishing between "fake" reality TV (shows putting 'real' people into stupid contests) and "real" reality TV (shows filming people doing their real jobs and so on).

The former (American Idol, Survivor) actively drain your IQ while watched; the latter (American Chopper, etc) can actually be fairly interesting.

 

[Jawz II]

i used to watch american chopper too, i dont count it as a "reality show". a reality show is when they have a contest of some kind.

american chopper is more like a documentary series or something.

 

[King Flevance]

Reality TV is a fad and we are almost through with it guys. With shows such as Lost, 2 CSIs, Heroes, 6 Feet Under, Ghost Whisperer, 24, Desperate Housewives, and the like are taking storm now. People are getting tired of the lame plots on reality TV shows that usually involve an elimination of a bunch of people that A) You don't know and B) YOu won't ever hear about again.

It was just a fad and they are noticing that the reality shows just aren't pulling in the ratings anymore. Plus, I think they are running out of ideas.

Hoorah! for the end of Reality TV.

I see American Chopper as a garage show. It is good.

 

[Rambuchan]

Reality TV is the spawn of hell.

More precisely, they are the spawn of the profit imperative. Also known as, the slashing of the budgets given by commissioning editors to programme producers.

Costs need to be saved in this modern, profit driven world. The entertainment media doesn't escape from this. It's big business after all.

There is a somewhat mistaken view that the very makers of content are to be on the front line in cost savings. In the case of news media, it's reporters that get axed in favour of merchanising and marketing, because the latter two bring quick, tangible, diverse revenue streams. In the case of channels putting out entertainment, such as the those reality programmes mentioned so far, it's the actual programme making budget that is slashed. This means that producers must scrimp and save.

So....reality TV kicks in.

As a result, you don't get acting talent, you don't get expert contributors, you don't get high end technicians, using the best audio-visual technology, in well facilitated studios, neither do you get great writing teams and inspired directors....because all that costs.

Instead, you get the public doing everyday things (the truth is - once in a blue moon - stranger than fiction). You get cheap digital cameras being used by low-skilled technicians, on location in people's homes, any old idiots directing them and any old idiots producing these easy to deliver shows. This all means the audience get the same proven revenue bringing programmes filling their evening schedules (with their encumbent, paying, corporate sponsors, by the way). So we see channels churning out predictable, formulaic, and most often down right boring programmes in a production line mentality. And the channel turns a buck.

That mistaken view comes from executives who are often brought in from big business, because they are seen as the torch bearers for 'running a tight commercial ship'. They often have little experience of running entertainment media outfits, populated by creatives. Just 'running a tight ship'. Profits do go up in the short term thanks to their axing and we get crap programming.

But.....further down the line, audiences - just like the posters above - get fed up and TV executives find their audiences fleeing for the internet and other media for entertainment (and they reach for more of the above axing to turn a profit from less audience figures). It's a short term fix. But who gives a damn? Those executives are in another post by the time the problems from their short term commercial fix become apparent and shareholders walk away happy with their dividends.

(Fans of Hollywood, particularly '70s 'golden age' films, can see yet another aversion to creative risk taking in action. British folk can look to the NHS for a similar, albeit slightly different, dynamic in action. )

There are also notions of a 'democratisation of the media', which are often cited to intellectualise and justify this phemonemon. But that, in my humble opinion, is just a load of spin.

 

[Captain2]

The only good reality show i've ever seen was the Canadian version of COPS, made me laugh really hard because instead of running around tackling people like the americans the canadians try talking to people, one of the police was even concerned because a hookers friend was sick... thats canada for you

 

[amadeus]

COPS isn't so racist as it is economically disparaging.

COPS films the situations that will draw in their viewing demographic.

Never ever do you see them arresting people that commit heinous offenses. It's all petty crimes. Possession, domestic disputes, prostitution, etc.

More graphic crimes used to be filmed, but I suppose they wanted to expand their viewership by getting rid of the more gruesome ones.

Would be nice to see them go on a corporate sting and nab some white collar criminals, but there will be glaciers in Las Vegas before we ever see that.

There would be no entertainment value in delivering a warrant to somebody that embezzled funds from a corporation. Arresting somebody that is high on dope and walking around the neighborhood naked, however, is more appealing to the vast majority of COPS viewers.

The whole purpose of the show is to make people feel like there are a bunch of bad people out there just waiting to hurt us and our wonderful fascist police forces are the only things that keep us safe at night.

That speaks for itself.

 

[Paradigne]

They are a cheap form of entertainment allowing the tv company to make LOTS of money with little to no effort.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

There would be no entertainment value in delivering a warrant to somebody that embezzled funds from a corporation.

You should check out Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine. He shot a quickie parody that made arresting businessmen very entertaining.

Also in the show, Moore asked the producer of COPS just why he never filmed arrests in the business world. The answer is exactly as you state: no entertainment value.

 

[Cannae]

I like one reality tv show that's Reno 911. It's a spoof off of cops.